2016 Harley-Davidson CVO Limited review

The battle for the wild west has re-ignited. On the back of sustained competition from resurgent competitor Indian, Harley-Davidson has updated its popular touring range in Australia – and ultimate bragging rights are on the line.

The CVO Limited conjures images of free-spirited rides on barren highways, fitted with a broad, comfortable seat and a comprehensive infotainment system complete with aerials and other paraphernalia.

It looks and feels the part on such journeys, too. Three new colour combinations and the inclusion of a tyre pressure monitoring system, integrated key fob (for keyless start) and new LED front and rear turn signals further leverage the CVO both visually and technically from the regular Ultra Limited – the $38,250 (plus on-road costs) younger sibling.

Harley-Davidson's CVO Limited is the one with the lot. Photo: Supplied.

One thing the lesser-powered Ultra Limited cannot compete against is the CVO's powertrain, a mammoth 1801cc V-Twin that cranks out a respectable 156Nm of torque.

The engine is undoubtedly the take-away feature from the CVO. Be it in urban scenarios, where our trip starts out, or on the open road, it is immense in its power delivery and with huge reserves of useable torque.

Cranking over the engine is a fairly straight-forward process with the key fob feature. As long as the key is within close proximity, just flick the ignition to start, fire the red button and the CVO cranks over to life.

The sound is somewhat meek and downbeat at idle, almost akin to a Singer sewing machine. But the CVO soon adopts the Milwaukee firm's signature bellow with revs, and while that may not ignite the senses among hardcore enthusiasts, it means the CVO offers the best of both worlds: you can roll out of the driveway without waking up the neighbours and still invoke that glorious soundtrack when on the open road.

The CVO produces its power much more consistently than its soundtrack, which is to say it feels strong across the rev spectrum, irrespective of speed or gear. As with most Harleys the gearing leaves a little to be desired – first gear is especially tall and highway revs are up around 3000rpm – but the engine is full of character. That it revs so effortlessly to its circa 6000rpm cut out simply reinforces the CVO's muscular personality.

The CVO features a not surprisingly heavy duty premise to its clutch, brake and gearbox calibration. Each control requires a little more muscle power to operate compared with ordinary Japanese bikes – amounting to quite an organic riding sensation. The clutch is well proportioned, the dual front disc brakes offers adequate though not great stopping power and the gearbox is clunky but reliable.

One thing to consider with the CVO on longer runs is fuel use. The car-like 5.7L/100km claim equates to a theoretical 400km range from the CVO's 22.7-litre fuel tank – though the real world figure turns out to be less than that.

Handling is par for the course for a machine that weighs 433kg. The CVO feels bulky and cumbersome on tighter roads and during inner city riding, but naturally comes to the fore on open surfaces; where the bike's huge dimensions are shrunk by well-placed controls, a shielding front windscreen and large foot boards.

The maximum 117mm worth of travel on the front forks is occasionally tested by sharp bumps and is met with some crashiness, while the rear remains mostly composed.

Long distance amenity is reinforced by two seats that feel and almost look like armchairs, both soft in their cushioning and supportive of different body sizes. Storage is generously catered for thanks to two side panniers, a top box and a glovebox compartment next to the instrument panel.

The features list is long and detailed on the Harley, as it would want to be at this price: sat-nav, Bluetooth phone and audio stream, voice recognition CB radio, radio system with four speakers, media player, heated grips and heated seats are all standard inclusions.

In addition the parts and general switchgear are befitting of the price. If anything a digital speedo would be nice.

You would really need a back-to-back comparison between the run-of-the-mill Ultra Limited and the flagship CVO Limited to see whether the additional $12,745 layout is worth it. Regardless, if you want to look, feel and ride like the king of the road, this is undoubtedly the machine to do it on. Cue the head-to-head test with the reinvented Indian Roadmaster.